In the Indian state of
Bihar, on June 6, 1981, a passenger train carrying more than 800 passengers
between
Mansi (Dhamara Pul) and
Saharsa,
India derailed and plunged into the river
Bagmati while it was crossing a bridge.
After five days, more than 200 bodies were recovered, with hundreds more missing that were feared washed away by the river.
Estimates of total deaths range from 500 to 800 or more.
By the afternoon of June 12, the government had completed its recovery efforts and had issued an official death toll of 235 passengers (including the bodies of 3 passengers which had not been recovered), with 88 survivors.
The accident is among the
deadliest-ever rail accidents in
India on record.
Cause
The cause of the accident is uncertain as the accident was not well documented. There are multiple theories:
* a
cyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an anti ...
*
flash flooding
* brake failure
See also
*
Lists of rail accidents
References
External links
Encyclopædia Britannica: Bihar train disaster
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Derailments in India
Railway accidents in 1981
1981 in India
Disasters in Bihar
History of Bihar (1947–present)
June 1981 events in Asia
Railway accidents and incidents in Bihar